Kellum Noble House Screening Project

I have never ever been as proud of the Houston Archeological Society as I am right now. With less than 24 hours notice we organized the most incredible salvage archeology project I've ever seen. On Friday, December 12, we were asked by the Texas Historical Commission to screen a completely full commercial size dumpster of dirt that had been removed from under the floorboards of one of the most historic houses in Harris County, the 1847 Kellum Noble House in Sam Houston Park during a major renovation and foundation stabilization project. The Kellum Noble House is the oldest masonry structure standing on its original site in the city of Houston.

Our goal was to recover any artifacts that were in the dirt. Even though it was about ten days before Christmas and you'd think people would be out shopping and getting ready for the holidays we had 25 HAS members out there on Saturday, December 13, 2014, and an equal number on Sunday shoveling and screening dirt. And we did it!!!! We emptied the entire dumpster and recovered literally hundreds of artifacts including mid 19th century glass and ceramics, clay pipes, marbles, a bone domino, metal-ware including buckles, parts of a child's tea set, buttons galore including shell, bone and metal, coins, butchered bone, and even pencil leads and slate (the house was used as a school at one time)!

Following that successful day of screening we were asked to remain on the job to continue screening dirt that was being removed from the foundations of the house. Again, HAS members answered the call and we screened dirt on Friday, January 3 and Saturday, January 4, 2015. Even more amazing artifacts were recovered!

Beth Aucoin is cleaning and cataloguing the artifacts and has put together a list of the items she has already researched – and it is impressive! The photo album that follows highlights some of the artifacts we’ve recovered.